Whistle While You Work
by Accio-Underwear
Summary: ONESHOT “Maybe we should go,” Stan suggested quietly, “And never speak of this again.” He didn’t look at Kyle but he knew the redhead was nodding.


_Disclaimer – I do not own South Park_

_This is just a random idea I thought of while cleaning my kitchen. My iPod (which was on shuffle) started playing 'Happy Working Song' from the movie 'Enchanted'. _

_This is also dedicated to Speedy-Turtle-91 because of her fabulous job at that singing thing of hers…Congrats m'dear!_

* * *

Ignoring the nearly constant bickering between his best friend, Kyle Broflovski, and his frienemy, Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh stepped up to the old door and knocked while praying to God that the door would fall in. It was a prayer that was used whenever he knocked on the front door of the McCormick household because it seemed like on wrong move and the whole house would collapse. He'd feel awful if that happened.

The door creaked open to reveal a tired looking Carol McCormick. She looked as though she had just gotten up from a nap and she was running her hand through her messy red hair, "Yeah?"

Stan frowned thoughtfully when she spoke. He noticed that she always sounded kind of sad and he wondered if that was just how she sounded or if she'd sound happier and less pathetic if her family had a nicer and bigger house and food.

Kyle and, much to Stan's surprise, Cartman snapped to attention and the three boys chorused a "Hello Mrs. McCormick" in a polite tone like their mothers had told them.

"Can Kenny come out to play?" Stan asked.

"He can't come out to play," Carol informed warily; "He has to clean his room."

"Oh. Okay, thank you."

She closed the door and the boys waited silently for a few seconds before glancing at each other. They really wanted to hang out with Kenny. It simply felt weird without him bringing a balance to the group. What if they needed to know something? Kenny always knew what things were and they'd be lost without him.

"Window?" Kyle suggested.

Stan and Cartman nodded before all three boys made their way around the house, carefully avoiding the random and generally useless items that had accumulated in the yard over the years. Unlike the rest of them, Kenny's house was one story, making it easier for the boys to access the currently open window. The crate under the outside of the window, used for sneaking out, made it even easier to access.

The climbed onto the crate, Stan and Kyle eyeing Cartman warily when it creaked and groaned under his weight and he simply glared, "Don't blame me, you fucking fags," He snapped, "It's our _combined_ weight."

"More like the combined weight of your fat rolls!" Kyle snapped back.

"'Ay!"

"Dude, shut up!" Stan snapped, bringing a finger to his lips. Cartman opened his mouth to argue but Stan simply pointed through the open finger.

At first they registered the soft and joyful singing. They didn't recognize the song, in fact it sounded completely made up. But it was actually improvised pretty well. It _did_ sound like a real song in a sense. The sight itself made Kyle and Cartman's mouths drop open in complete and utter shock.

Kenny was cleaning his room actually, and enjoying it quite well. His back was to them and he was sitting on the floor and cleaning out his messy closet of clothes and garbage while singing and whistling cheerfully. It wasn't his cleaning and light singing that completely shocked the boys though.

He was getting assistance in cleaning his room.

From rats and roaches.

There were rats dusting and spraying cleaning materiel onto surfaces while making Kenny's bed. Roaches were skittering across the floor, picking up garbage and running off to bring their collections into the garbage bag by the door. A couple of cockroaches were maneuvering a dustpan and a couple rats clumsily worked at a small broom. Stan caught sight of one of the rats tucking away an old VHS tape of 'Snow White'.

"Holy shit," Kyle managed to quietly choke out.

Stan couldn't rip his eyes away from the sight, jumping slightly when a rat swung down from the blinds pulley and started cleaning the window. It chattered at them for a moment before climbing back up the thin string.

"Maybe we should go," Stan suggested quietly, "And never speak of this again." He didn't look at Kyle but he knew the redhead was nodding.

Unfortunately, Cartman ruined their plan by erupting in loud obnoxious laughter.

Kenny gasped and stopped singing. Every living thing in the bedroom froze and looked at the intruders, their blonde master turning cautiously to face his friends. "W-What are you guys doing here?" He asked in a forced casual voice.

Stan opened his mouth to answer but Cartman, still laughing his fat ass off, interrupted by pointing at Kenny, "Dude." He howled as his face turned red, "So gay! I mean seriousleh. What do you think you are? A fucking Disney Princess?"

Kenny blushed in irritation and snapped his fingers.

A swarm of critters charged Cartman, grabbing onto him and forcing his large body in through the window. All the while he was giving yelps of panic and demanding the animals and insects to let him go or he'd 'kick them in the balls'. Stan and Kyle glanced at each other before uneasily climbing through the window, staying closely beside their only exit while Kenny glowered and crossed his arms over his chest.

A fat old grey rat hobbled its way to Kenny and the blonde plucked him up and set him on his shoulder before making his way to a drawer in his raggedy old dresser. He opened it up and bulled out a wooden box. From the box he pulled out a small stale loaf of bread and ripped off a piece, offering it to the old rat. The balding creature accepted the food and held it in his tiny hands.

Kenny then looked at the rest of the creatures in his room. "Get in line."

Stan, Kyle and Cartman watched in amazement as the animals formed a line and Kenny plucked off bread and offered it to each creature, which then ran behind furniture and disappeared into the walls of the house. Once he was done, he returned the rest of the bread into the box and then drawer before looking at his friends with a sigh.

"Symbiotic relationship," He stated.

Kyle tilted his head curiously, "You feed them and they help you?" Kenny nodded, "But…how? I mean…I know rats are smart but…"

Kenny pointed to the old rat on his shoulder. "This guy has been dragging my body away when I die for years. Longer than I can remember." The blonde replied as the rat looked at his friends and began nibbling again, "He's sorta the boss of all the other guys. One day I figured he'd prefer to eat something other than…me. I guess you can say he doesn't accept charity."

Kenny stroked the top of the rat's head fondly and Stan hugged himself a bit protectively, "But don't they have like, diseases and stuff."

"Probably."

Kenny's three friends gave a collective shudder and moved towards the window. Kenny rolled his eyes and grinned lazily at them, "I'm guess you guys aren't going to come visit as much, huh?"

"Just…until it sinks in," Kyle assured.

Cartman hugged himself and shivered, "I need a shower," He stated. "With lots of soap."

Kyle rolled his eyes and offered Kenny an apologetic smile. "We better get him home before he becomes a drama queen."

Kenny laughed and Stan already started climbing out the window, "No problem, dudes," he replied, "I don't want to get caught with you in here and get grounded anyway." Kyle nodded as he pushed Cartman through the window and Stan pulled. There was a loud crack and a groan of pain as Cartman disappeared, most likely crushing Stan and the now collapsed crate. "Oh, and Kyle?"

Kyle looked back at his friend mid-climbing out, "Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone. They're happy here."

Kyle nodded and hopped out the window to rescue his suffocating friend while wondering if this was all just some bizarre dream.


End file.
